Vergere's Refrain
by Black King 201
Summary: An Epilogue...   Although it completely detracts from the summary, I feel I have to include this note: This is the same story as The Final Battle. I simply felt it needed a better title and summary.


It was done. Madara had been defeated. Even after the Kyuubi had been extracted from his body, Naruto had somehow found the strength to survive… and to kill Madara. He rested in the ruins of the Akatsuki hideout, staring at the sky. He decided he should get up. Everyone back at Konoha would be waiting for him. He had decided to should face Madara alone, as the prophecy the Great Toad Sage made meant he had the best chance of do so. It had taken days of arguing, but he had finally convinced Kakashi to let him go. Suddenly, a cracking noise filled room. An enormous vortex appeared where the Gedo Mazo once stood. An incredible presence filling the room, crashing down on him. Then two arms appeared, grabbing onto the sides of the portal as _something_ emerged. The last he saw of it was ten tails and a sharingan, before a bright light filled the room, and a black-clad body appeared on the floor. Naruto stood up, holding a kunai in one hand as he strode hesitantly towards the figure. The dark-haired stranger groaned, before standing up and looking around.

"I'm home," he whispered. "I made it!"

"Excuse me," Naruto said, eying the teen (about his age, he dimly realized) warily. "Who are you?"

The stranger stared at him for a moment, before saying. "I suppose my _official_ title is the Juubi." As Naruto tensed, he added. "My human name is Arashi Uzumaki."

Naruto stared dumbly at him for a second, before asking, "Uzumaki?"

"Yep!" The stranger- Arashi-the _Juubi_, said cheerily. "I notice you're wearing my clan symbol," he said, gesturing towards the spiral on Naruto's jacket. "Are you related to me?"

"My name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. Are you really the Juubi?" Naruto asked warily.

"Yes. Why?"

"It's just that-I was told you were evil. You don't seem evil. And you're related to me."

"I'm not evil" the Juubi said. "I was given my powers by Kami-sama himself in order to make this world a better place. He wanted me to bring this land under a single government. Establish a democracy that would put the needs of the people first. A land without war, famine, or corruption. _He_ didn't like that."

"He?" Naruto asked, now extremely curious.

"My brother. Sosuke Uzumaki. He thought that the land should stay the way it was, since it was more profitable that way. After I received my power and became the Juubi, he sought power from another source. A _darker_ source. He spread tales of me, telling everyone that I was an evil being bent on destroying the world. He began calling himself the Rikudo Sennin, and gathered followers to combat me."

"Your brother was the Rikudo Sennin?" Naruto asked, shocked. "And he was evil?"

"Yeah." Arashi answered, sadness engraved upon his face. "Of course, I didn't realize it at first. When I heard of what he was doing, I sought him out, wondering why he would do such a thing. He betrayed me. Made it look like I attacked him. And them he tried to kill me." Naruto leaned in, shocked by what he was hearing. "I defended myself, of course. And I could have defeated him easily. But he was my baby brother, you know? I just couldn't do it. So I let him defeat me. Let him seal me away, and let myself go down in history as the greatest evil this world has ever known. I've been asleep ever since. So," he said, looking around. "What happened here? How was I released?" As Naruto told him of the events leading up to the present day, Arashi's face grew paler and paler. "You mean to tell me," he whispered, horrified. "That someone thought I was as evil as my brother said? And that he caused so much suffering, so much chaos and destruction, so that he could free me and use me to take over the world?"

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I can tell you would never willingly do something like that. Let's go. I need to get back to Konoha, and they would gladly take you in. Their great people."

"From what you told me, I can tell that," Arashi said, smiling. "I'd be glad to meet them."

When they reached Konoha, they saw the entire population arranged on and outside the wall. As the native of Kohonagakure no Sato saw Naruto, they surged forward, rejoicing in the fact that Madara Uchiha was dead, and with him, all his plans for world domination. Naruto was lauded as the returning hero he was, enduring many back-slaps and hugs. Finally, Sakura asked "And who is this, Naruto? You haven't introduced him."

"Oh, this is Arashi," Naruto said. "I just met him."

"So, your name is Arashi?" Neji asked. Arashi finally raised his head, which he had kept down the whole time.

"Actually," he said, Mangekyou Sharingan glittering in his eyes, as ten enormous tails of chakra emerged and a feeling of utter evil swept over the crowd. "I am the Juubi. _And everything I tell you is a lie."_


End file.
